WKU News

The show must go on for one of WKU’s holiday favorites!

WinterDance 2020: A Digital Showcase is coming to a screen near you this weekend and WKU’s Amy Bingham has more on what it has taken to get here in this week’s View from the Hill.

“Like to think we are actually here in the theatre and doing tech week and we’re gonna get to have a show is crazy and we are so excited.”

Senior Kate Mellon is one of 36 dancers beyond grateful for the opportunity to perform this year’s WinterDance.

 “I think all of us coming into this semester were so certain that we were gonna be gone by September or early October.”

After the abrupt shift to virtual learning last spring due to COVID-19, dance faculty began thinking immediately about how to make the December concert happen.

“Our choreography has taken a somewhat different approach in that we’ve worked with a little bit smaller groups, we’ve kept them physically distanced.  Not utilizing our space like we normally would.  There’s no physical touch within our choreography.”

The final product will not be performed before a live audience, instead it was reimagined for a digital audience.

“Since we don’t have our like typical storyline, there’s no starring role, everybody is just cast in a certain number of pieces so I’m in a ballet piece and then one of the jazz pieces.”

“Usually I feed off the audiences energy when I perform and the fact that that is not present right now and we know that it’s not going to be for a while has been a bit of a mental challenge to overcome.”

Another challenge of the pandemic – getting used to performing in a mask.

“It’s also really built up my endurance in a way. We are participating in sometimes eight to eleven minute pieces on stage and with most of these pieces they are very, very, very physical.”

Sacrifices they say were more than worth it to bring this production to life.

“We have been waiting for this moment for a very long time.  We weren’t even sure we were going to get to perform this semester, which makes it all the more special.”

WinterDance 2020: A Digital Showcase can be viewed Friday night and Saturday night at 7, and Saturday and Sunday afternoon at 2. To find out how to get tickets, visit www.wku.edu/dance